McLean Flap

City Commissioner Finley Cook says he's always questioned the city attorney's role and felt it necessary to bring it to the forefront. Now, he's questioning McLean’s legal fees.

Jack McLean has been Quincy's city attorney since 1998. At a City Commission meeting Tuesday night Commissioner Finley Cook made a motion to fire the city attorney citing he's stepped out of his role as attorney by taking on the role of city manager.

"In all the decisions he's made for the city has been well thought out. I think he's doing an excellent job for the city. I just think it's one of the expanded roles will come to light," Finley Cook, Quincy City Commissioner said.

In addition to McLean’s additional roles, Cook is concerned about the city attorney's salary. McLean earns $42,000 a year to address the needs of the more than 7,000 people who live in the city.

McLean's budget for his legal department is $140,000. In comparison, Monticello has a population of about 2,600 people. The city attorney there is retained for just $1,000 a month.

Meanwhile, Tallahassee's city attorney who is on board full-time earns a little more than $134,000 a year. Now, the mayor is looking into whether McLean's attorney fees are too steep for Quincy's residents.

Mayor Derrick Elias said, "We've asked the city clerk to do a survey of a similar sized city to see how much their city attorney is making in regards to their hourly rates and the types they do in those municipalities to see if they're comparable to Quincy."

In addition to McLean's legal fees, Mayor Elias says he also charges an hourly rate for his services. Commissioners have scheduled a workshop for June 8 to address this issue.

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